Handheld communications devices, such as cellular telephones, have become a common tool of everyday life. Cellular telephones are no longer simply used to place telephone calls. With the range of features available rapidly increasing, cellular telephones are now used for storing addresses, keeping a calendar, reading e-mails, drafting documents, etc. These devices are small enough that they can be carried in a pocket or purse all day, allowing a user to stay in contact almost anywhere. Recent devices have become highly functional, providing applications useful to business professionals as well as to casual users.
Many handheld communications devices now allow a user to take pictures and to film videos, or to search the internet for multimedia content. These features are possible using devices with built in cameras or devices with web browsers that access the internet over a cellular network, WiFi network, etc.
However, these devices usually have small screens that limit the viewing capabilities. For instance, the small screen limits the number of people viewing the screen at one time. A user may take a picture and want a large group to see it. The user may also simply desire a larger screen to view the picture. Alternatively, the user may wish for someone at a remote location to see the picture on a large screen. Current devices on the market do not provide an easy way to meet these needs.
What is needed is the ability to take multimedia content being viewed on a handheld communications device and transfer the content to a larger screen, such as a television. What is also needed is an improved way to browse multimedia search results on the device.
The present invention provides devices, systems, and methods for searching for media on a network using a handheld communications device, and displaying a desired search result on an external display device.
In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention is a system for sharing a media file. The system includes a handheld communications device including a display, a transceiver, a device memory, a device processor, and a media logic unit on the device memory; an application server in communication with the handheld communications device including a server memory, a server processor, and a media sharing logic unit on the server memory; a set-top box in communication with the application server, and a display device in communication with the set-top box. The handheld communications device transmits a first address of the media file to the application server and the application server transmits a second address of the media file to the set-top box so that the media file can be displayed on the display device. The transfer may be accompanied by a request to display the media file on the display device.
In another exemplary embodiment, the present invention is a method for sharing a media resource on a handheld communications device. The method includes receiving a media search request from a handheld communications device over a network, gathering from the network a set of media resources corresponding to the media search request, receiving from the handheld device a request to display a media resource from the set of media resources on an external display device, and transmitting an address of the media resource over the network to a set-top box coupled to the external display device. The set-top box is configured to display the media resource on the external display device.
In yet another exemplary embodiment, the present invention is a method for sharing a media resource on a handheld communications device. The method includes transmitting a media search query to a server over a network, retrieving from the network a set of media resources corresponding to the media search query, transmitting to the server a request to display, on an external display device, a media resource from the set of media resources, and transmitting, from the server to a set-top box coupled to the external display device, an address of the media resource. The set-top box is configured to display the media resource on the external display device.